Have you ever heard of a “Judgement House” or a “Hell House”?
These are a way that many evangelical churches in the Southern US have chosen to deal with Halloween. They were especially popular in the 90s and early 2000s, but I still see marketing for them at area churches today. In fact, I just recently saw a social media promotion from a local church for their version – “Temptation Trail” – and noticed they are charging folks for entry.
What is a Judgement House?
A Judgement House, or Hell House, is generally set up in a way similar to a haunted trail. These are located at churches, and attendees walk through various rooms or areas where different scenes are acted out.
The early scenes can vary from church to church. They may include a family spending time together, folks attending a church service, various scenes of someone being presented with an opportunity to “accept Jesus” or “begin a relationship with Christ.” I put those phrases in quotations to indicate they are some of the ways that the decision to become a Christian may be presented in these contexts.
There may also be scenes where youth or young adults are faced with choices that are shown as having a clear moral right and clear moral wrong. The focus is often on youth and young adults because these are the folks toward whom Judgement Houses and Hell Houses are marketed.
It is the final aspects of the Judgement House, or Hell House, that are basically always the same.
Attendees will go through an area that is often filled with white and light. There may be images or depictions of angels, all dressed in white. There may be depictions of singing to God. This room is meant to represent what evangelical Christians refer to as “eternal life” for those who have confessed belief in Jesus as Savior. These depictions are meant to evoke images of heaven – no troubles, no strife, and forever praising God.
Then, attendees at these Judgement Houses, or Hell Houses, will enter an area that represents hell. These spaces often have red and black everywhere – in the decor, in the clothing of those representing demons or Satan. The heat may be turned up in this area so that the temperature is actually hotter than previous rooms. There may be sound effects or actual people vocalizing moans of being tortured. This “hell room” is meant to evoke fear of what your post-death experience will be if you do not confess belief in Jesus.
The church hosting these Judgement Houses, or Hell Houses, often have attendees complete a survey at the beginning of their tour. This survey generally asks the person’s name and contact info, what church they attend, and if they are a Christian.
Some of these Judgement Houses end by reading out the names of those who indicated they were not a Christian on the survey they completed, and having those folks stand apart from their group in the “hell room.” This gives a very visual, and sometimes traumatic, experience of being eternally punished and separated from those you care about.
Important Things To Note
THE AUDIENCE. Judgement Houses, or Hell Houses, are created with a particular audience in mind. They generally focus their promotion, set-up, and visuals on folks ages 12-25.
Knowledge of brain development can help us understand why these age groups are targeted. The younger folks in this range are beginning to think critically, yet are still quite prone to being swayed by peer pressure. The prefrontal cortex of the brain, the area that helps folks think ahead about consequences and make informed decisions, is not fully functional until around age 25. So, everyone within the target age ranges has not yet reached maturity in considering the meaning behind decisions or the future consequences.
These events utilize attempts to appeal to those who are easily influenced in a context where they are unable to engage their critical thinking skills, and before their brains are fully developed to consider consequences. So, even a “decision for Christ” made in this context is questionable in regards to the authenticity and staying power.
THE MANIPULATION OF EMOTIONS. Manipulation is the name of the game with these Hell House events. The promotions generally spread through area churches. The Judgement House is presented to parents as an alternative to Halloween or to traditional haunted attractions. It is presented to the youth, by their trusted church leaders, as a fun outing outside of church activities. These same youth are often encouraged to invite friends, particularly “unchurched friends.” There may even be a meal involved before or after the Hell House experience.
From the time folks arrive, anticipation is built. There may be pre-game type activities to pique the interest of attendees. The survey that requests information from attendees may also be accompanied by some type of contest for a coveted item. The stage is set before folks even enter the Hell House.
Each section of the Judgement House is created to elicit a reaction. From the decor to the costumes, from the actions to the temperature, from the words spoken to the songs sung, each space is crafted to evoke emotion and lead attendees one step closer to the desired action.
The final sections – heaven and hell – are built on the foundation of emotional manipulation. The whole design of the Hell House is to ensure that emotions such as peace and joy are evoked in the “heaven room” and that fear is evoked in the “hell room.”
THE POTENTIAL FOR HARM. Judgement Houses, or Hell Houses, have great potential for harm. This can include overactivation of one’s nervous system, years of ongoing fear, heightened anxiety, and feelings of anger related to the emotional manipulation. It can also be harmful for those who take their beliefs very seriously to see or hear others joke about their faith while partaking in these events.
The next section of this post goes into more detail about the potential impacts of Judgement Houses.
THE ACTUAL EFFECTIVENESS OF THIS METHOD. Is this method of evangelizing, or sharing the message of Christianity, effective? I don’t have concrete data around this topic, but I do have anecdotal data.
I volunteered and/or worked in Christian ministry for 15-ish years. I never heard someone say they became a Christian through a Hell House. I did hear multiple people comment that these were either “corny” or “terrifying.” I also heard many folks mention that it was mostly the area youth group kids who were attending these events anyway, so they weren’t actually sharing a message with anyone who hadn’t heard it at church or church activities.
I have spent a great deal of time in the last 10-ish years interacting with folks who were harmed by Christianity in some way. I have heard many people reference these types of events and the fear that overcame them after attending. There have been discussions of nightmares, ongoing anxiety, and dissociation when confronted with death.
Based on these 2+ decades of anecdotal data, I would, at the very least, question the effectiveness of the Judgement House method of evangelization.
Common Lasting Impacts of Judgement Houses
Let’s say 100 folks take part in a Hell House, or Judgement House, event.
For 50 of those folks, it may be a visual reminder of what they already believe. They walk through the scenes, feel affirmed in their choices, and continue on with their day. Five of those folks may be left with some questions about what they believe. Another five may be completely turned off by this method and never consider Christianity again. And let’s say 5 of those who take part decide to “make a decision for Christ” at the event.
There are 10 folks out of the 100 who find the whole thing absurd – maybe a bit silly, maybe a waste of time, maybe just a way to hang out with their friends.
That leaves 25 folks, 1/4 of the 100 who attended, who are left to deal with some lasting impacts of taking part in the Judgement House. For 15 of them, they may be left with an unsettled type of feeling. They have passing thoughts about the experience, maybe even for years to come, but are overall able to move on and function.
But for 10 of those folks who attended the Judgement House, the impact is long-lasting. Their nervous systems are traumatized and they have difficulty feeling safe.
These numbers are an example, but I think it’s pretty accurate to say at least 10% of the people who have experienced a Hell House, or Judgement House, deal with ongoing impacts of that experience.
These impacts can include:
- FEAR. Judgement Houses are designed to elicit fear from the attendees, but for some this fear doesn’t stop when the event ends. Folks may deal with fear of not being good enough – in their family, in school, in friendships – for years after attending a Hell House. They may suffer with fear that any perceived failure will make them unlovable or cause those they care about to cut off relationship with them.
- ETERNITY ANGST. Folks who are presented with experiential moments in hell as part of these Judgement Houses may be left with a lifetime of angst around death and what happens after death. I have talked with those who were not religious themselves, but attended a Hell House with a friend or were shown images, and years later struggle to comprehend death or experience their own grief.
- ANXIETY. Anxiety goes beyond the occasional worry. Anxiety often includes constant worry about a variety of things, difficulty relaxing both physically and mentally, difficulty concentrating, issues with sleep, and feelings of being watched or judged by others. I’ve worked with 100s of clients who struggle with anxiety. Many of those clients who also identify as having adverse religious experiences in their past tell me that an experience such as a Hell House was the beginning of their anxiety. Being exposed to the visceral images of judgement and punishment began a spiral of anxiety that now permeates every corner of their lives.
- NIGHTMARES AND DISTURBING IMAGES. There are a countless number of folks who experienced nightmares or disturbing visual images after attending a Hell House. For some, this was a short-lived thing and their nervous system was able to find safety and regulation. For others, the experience of nightmares and unwanted images related to the sights, sounds, and smells of a Hell House continue to haunt them years, even decades, after they took part in the event.
- OTHER RECOGNIZED SYMPTOMS OF EXPOSURE TO A TRAUMATIC EXPERIENCE. Some of the impacts listed above are common symptoms of a traumatic experience. There are some others that may also arise for those who have taken part in a Hell House. Dissociative reactions may occur in which a person loses awareness of the present and feels as though they are back in the disturbing situation, in this case the Judgement House. Physiological or physical responses to people, places, or things related to the experience may occur. Efforts to avoid external reminders of the event may be utilized as a way to attempt feeling unwanted feelings about the experience. Frequent feelings of fear, danger, detachment from others, as well as difficulty experiencing happiness or love, can both occur following an event that registers as trauma in your nervous system. Irritability and/or reckless behaviors may increase due to one’s nervous system being overly activated.
What Can I Do Now?
If you are someone who experienced a Judgement House, Hell House, or any other experience within religion that has left you feeling harmed and/or questioning, I encourage you to connect with a licensed mental health professional who specializes in working with religious trauma. I provide these services in North Carolina, and am happy to offer a free, 15-minute consultation to see if we might be a good fit for working together. You can learn more about me and my services on my website, and complete this contact form if you want to connect further.
Outside of North Carolina? You can search the Therapist Directory at Reclamation Collective for a provider near you.
For those who may be in positions to influence the planning of events such as Judgement Houses, I’d encourage you to consider all of the potential impacts of your event. How might your event cause harm to those who attend? How does this event take into consideration those with sensory concerns or those who have a history of trauma? Is this event achieving the results you’re hoping for in the long-term? Is this event aligned with what you proclaim to believe?
I offer individual consultations and group workshops for faith leaders who desire to understand more about mental health and religious trauma. Please contact me if you desire to learn more about these topics and how they may influence your own event planning.
Michelle F. Moseley is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor in NC. She believes ALL people deserve respect, compassion, and access to mental and physical healthcare. Michelle specializes in working with survivors of religious trauma and with those who have body image concerns, finding there is frequent overlap in these areas. You can learn more about Michelle by visiting her website at MichelleFMoseley.com or following her on Instagram – @therapy_with_michelle